


2Shy

by 30xf



Series: 201 Days Of X Files [55]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 09:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5780164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/30xf/pseuds/30xf





	2Shy

Scully sinks down into the bathwater, bending her knees so her whole body fits in the tub. She lets her head slip under the water, keeping her face out. She stares up at the shower head and holds her breath. She can hear her heart beating in her ears. She inhales deeply through her nose and it sounds like rolling thunder in her head. She lets the breath out and is disappointed that it sounds the same as always. After a moment, she sits up suddenly, causing a wave in the tub that threatens to splash over the side. She grabs her bottle of shampoo and lathers up her hair, careful of the sore spot at the back of her head. She dips back into the water to rinse out the shampoo, and then slathers her head with conditioner. She settles herself back into the water, letting it cover her shoulders while keeping her head out to let the conditioner soak in. 

She tries to clear her head as she lets the hot water soothe her aching muscles. It always seemed that just when she thought she was in pretty good shape, an altercation with a man like Virgil Incanto reminded her there were muscles no work out would ever properly train. And there was nothing that would prepare you for having your head smashed into a mirror. Reluctantly, she lets her mind wander to Virgil Incanto, the man who, quite literally, fed on his victims insecurities. Without even realizing it, her eyes wander to her own body. She could see it, distorted, through the soapy bathwater. She was not perfect, she knew, but she was also aware that she had very little to complain about. Over the years, her weight had gone up and down, like most people. And she knew what it was like to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. But she would never quite call it insecurity for her. All the same, she found it deplorable that someone would seek out women with these insecurities and tell them everything they wanted to hear. To gain access into their thoughts and feelings only to use it against them. To give them such false hope and earn their trust only to take their lives. The emotional violation seemed almost as disgusting a crime as the murder. 

Carefully grasping the chain for the plug between her toes, Scully pulls it free, starting the water spiraling down the drain. She stands and turns on the shower, flinching only a little when the water pours down over her ice cold for a second before turning hot. She rinses out her conditioner, listening to the water drop heavily into the emptying tub. After turning the shower off, she abandons the tub and fixes a towel around her head. Before she can get any further, she hears knocking outside her room. She grabs a bigger towel and wraps it around her torso, tucking it into itself across her chest. Still dripping with water, she heads out into her room, moving to the door connecting her room to Mulder's without even considering the other door. 

"Hey," she greets him, turning and heading back to the bathroom.

She doesn't miss the quick pass his eyes make over body. "Hey," he responds, a moment too late to be completely casual. 

"Be out in a sec," she calls from behind the door. She emerges only a minute later, hair still in a towel, but the rest of her now covered in a pair of blue, satin pajamas. Mulder looks visibly relieved, though he still hasn't moved from the doorway.

He leans against the door frame with a hand on his hip. He's still dressed in his suit, though he's shed the tie and jacket. His sleeves are rolled halfway up his forearms as if he's been working, but the slightly askew nature of his hair betrays that perhaps he's had a nap or at least rested to watch some TV. "I just wanted to see if you were good. You seemed a little upset after we talked to Incanto," he says.

Scully shrugs and then nods, leaning against the table a few feet away from him and crossing her arms over her chest. "He kind of got to me for a minute there," she admits. "But I'm fine." She finishes with a weak but believable smile.

"Okay," he presses his lips together in a tight smile. "And physically, you're--"

"I'm fine," she insists. "I promise."

Mulder nods. "Right, good. Okay, I'll let you get some sleep. Our flight leaves early."


End file.
